Denying that he ever threw acid on his deceased wife Fakhra Yunus, former MPA Bilal Khar said he was not even in Karachi at the time when the incident took place.

“I was in Lahore when this happened and I read about it in a newspaper,” Bilal said.

Speaking to Express News, Bilal accused the “ladies”, who helped Fakhra take refuge in Italy of establishing a false case against him “just to earn money” from humanitarian organisations.

“They got my name involved because they knew they would get funds only if a big name was involved in the case,” he accused.

“Acid-throwing incidents are very common in Pakistan but do you see any media trial done against those accused like it is done against me? Media is doing so only because I am a known person,” he said.

Framing the ‘bad wadera’?

Responding to the fact that Fakhra had always blamed Bilal for the crime, the former MPA said she had no choice. “The entire case was built around the bad wadera notion; she couldn’t back out,” he said, adding that she would not have been allowed to live in Italy.

Rejecting the claim that he had pressurised Fakhra’s family to take back the case against him, Bilal said he had no power over this.

“Do you think I am a thug or what?” he questioned.

“I had spent time in jail, I had fought the case against me and the judiciary declared me innocent. If I’m still a culprit then your judiciary was wrong,” he added.

Questions for the MQM

While criticising MQM’s current agitation regarding the incident, he questioned why Governor of Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan who was in power when he was declared innocent in the case, had not protested along with other MQM members against the court decision at that time.

When asked why he himself had not filed a case for his wife, Bilal said Fakhra was not his wife then.

“I had verbally given her divorce but the documentation was not done,” he said, adding that before he could do anything he was already named in that case as an accused.

Bilal said “If Fakhra had to commit suicide because of me, she would have done it 12 years ago.”

‘Financial woes led to suicide’

He claimed that the real reason behind the suicide was her financial situation.

“The money she received from the Italian government was very little and the rest of the money was usurped by her well-wishers who fought the fake case against me,” he alleged.

Bilal accepted he avoided case investigation because “the incident happened during Pervez Musharraf’s government and my father was the only politician who was opposing his rule, hence I expected no justice.”

However, Bilal added that he was arrested and was tried.

“The petitioners [Fakhra’s family] had themselves stated in the court that I was not involved,” Bilal said. He further added that the physical description of the attacker provided by Fakhra’s family didn’t match to what he looks like.

The former MPA also raised the question if he was the attacker, why did Fakhra live with him for four months after the incident.

“Fakhra left for Italy from my house, my father was present there too,” he claimed.

Bilal mentioned that Tehmina Durrani had agreed to help Fakhra for further surgeries abroad. “Fakhra and I were not in favour of this arrangement,” he added.

He also said that he had not maintained contact with her, nor did he financially support her.

Requesting media to be considerate towards him, Bilal argued that “I have three daughters and they are harassed at school because of this.”

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Reader Comments (44)

I have not seen a more callous statement in a long while as this
““Acid-throwing incidents are very common in Pakistan but do you see any media trial done against those accused like it is done against me? Media is doing so only because I am a known person,” he said.

There is no such thing as truth left in the land of the pure it seems.

Bilal Khar has failed to vindicate himself from the acid case that he had thrown on the face of his wife. His words show that he had committed the crime. He must be punished sternly if he is really involved in the alleged crime. The incident is really very unfortunate.

Disgusting.. Just disgusting. I don’t understand whyour media highlighting such people to “Make” new stories that start another media trial of victim’s grave. SC perhaps slept away or something like. Recommend

“Liar” is written all over this guy and his argument is astounding (he says as if it’s fine that women get acid burned everyday). Gutless coward speaking up only after Fakhra’s dead because now he knows that she can’t say anything. . And it’s also tragic that the media and our public will most likely forget this horrific ordeal after a while. Rest in peace FakhraRecommend

he left both of the anchors speechless, she died 6 days ago and now they knew about her, media just creates hype and tension for its advertisers, money and for rating only, he was acquitted by the court of Pakistan, media should go and approach to that judge and ask him questions why this man was released otherwise have some confidence in the judiciary

So, the poor girl threw acid on her face just to accuse this loser?? We all know how our courts work and how easy it is for the well-connected to to get scot-free even for murder. I want to hear what his cousin Hina Khar, and his father Mustafa Khar has to say about this??Recommend

@hairan what is your point? How can you justify is actions ask yourself why would someone make an accusation at someone for a matter so serious that she took her own life people who do such henious crimes do it for personal gratification to destroy something forever it is such a crime the agenda and hatred behind it is to destroy something delicate he wanted her to suffer that is the crime

How proudly this son of a wadera claims he never supported her after marrying someone and divorcing them does not mean that your Insaaniyaat also dies .. Had he really cared he would have supported her atleast half way through or somewhat for her surgeriesRecommend

Come on Bilaal! You know along the scared witnesses and God knows too! You wish all acts of your youth are now that you are older must be eliminated and have nothing to do with you. Your interview is all a White-Wash. repent now by setting up an “acid victims” foundation. You really are an expert in law you don’t need the Attorneys. Save you lines_ She will Meet you One Day!Recommend

Let Allah decide? And how will Allah do that? Send Gibrael to extract the truth from Bilal Khar? How blind and sick are the people defending Bilal Khar and trying to find doubt in his guilt? Truly, this is Pakistan where we all know the judiciary cannot be bought off, the police cannot be paid to keep its silence? Even the strongest man will cower before the corrupt, faceless feudal lords and their ‘sahabzadas’. As for the fact that women will wash themselves with acid just to get money and that the woman committed suicide because she was getting little pocket money from the Italian government? That is just hilarious. Sanctimonious and pious Muslims of Pakistan, stop writing drivel.

That’s the fun thing about a biased judiciary and the victim dying. After the judiciary has given you the wink and a nod you act you can be pompous and blame the victim with a smile on your face. The only justice left is that of a vigilante.

A simple question for all who can think.
based upon Bilal’s two statements:

1- she lived with him for four months even after this incident happened.
2- he had already divorced her verbally but not in papers.

so did he divorced her before the incident had happened, there was no reason for her living with him after the divorce

he divorced her after the incident happened. why? if she was attacked by someone and he was not involved, he helped her by divorcing her after the incident?

divorce and this acid thing supposetly happened together, then, since such a big crime was done by this man, his father and elders got involved and tried to hold the girl at home, that they will treat her. and she left after four months.

can you deny this mr bilal

I also love all those who were critisizing Ms chinnoy for making doc on such incidents. We wont stop usless we show people how brutel it is.

If someone commits suicide its mean that he or she is so much dis-heart from this society or justice that he or she would even bother to take own life. A feudal is not only responsible for such act our justice system equally shares such a heinous act. Most of us use to say that media is giving hike to such act but in my view media is doing right if we had an independant media in the past then Mrs Durrani former wife of Mustafa Khar would have got her justice as well as many other victims. Media is rightly unveiling the corrupt faces of so called elite peoples of this fragile society. People of pakistan are responsible why they elect such people as their leader. So far MQM is concerned I think they are the only political party who raised this issue whether for its political gain or whatsoever other parties should have also condemned this act but no one did that.

Forget about the character of Fakhra but she was a human being even an animal is not treated like that

In short i dont think any thing is going to happen with Mr Khar because, justice is blind.
It is the history of Pakistan that apex court has never given a fair trial justice always goes against the poor people. Mr Khar will be elected again asan MPA or MNA

… in that case this guy shouldn’t be worried if the case is reopened … and the investigative officers, the victims family and the witnesses are allowed to speak freely without the feeling the feudal pressure and influence on them …

… the scarred face of Fakhra is the cruel, contorted, ugly face of Feudalism …

There is a simple solution to all this.Use the power of the vote. Throw out all the feudals and Waderas from parliament. Let honest people come in. Perhaps then there will be some hope for these poor oppressed women.

So the feudal is also hiding behind the judiciary, tell me how many Terrorists have been convicted by the Courts? NONE, is it enough to prove that there is NO TERRORISM in Pakistan? Come on stop this shameful rhetoric, each women has rights in the free society irrespective of her profession or background, no one gives you a right to destroy the life of others.

Its not only bilal but whole nation which ignored fakhira and left no choice for her but to commit suicide. Media just wants ratings and nothing else.

One must acknowledge that Bilal married a prostitute, how many of us will do that? in our society prostitutes are used for pleasure and then left on their own. This guy has courage to give her the status of his life partner, what ever happened later should be investigated and no one should be blamed until proven guilty.

I hope CJ will make a commission on this issue as its more important than the memo gate where millions have been spent to arrange testimony of star witness. I hope Mr. Sharif will take this case to SC as he did with memo. Recommend

Bilal shame on you. I pray someone throw the same acid on your face which already looks like an acid burn face. You might be rich but to the rest of the world you are the most pethatic person that no one ever wants to be. If there is God then you will be punished in ths life inshallah.

Punjab is a fertile land, there will always be some incident, it is in their culture. To settle score with weak opponent, make their women dance nude and parade in the street. A village “Panchayat” or court of elders and learned decide “Gang Rape” to a weak peasant or “Kammi”. A feudal lord eliminates the whole family and occupy their land. Khar family is famous for their atrocities and lecherous life. Elder Khar is famous for his libidinous life. He was icon of his time, verified by her former wife Tahmina Durrani in her book. They have no character, values, ethics or morality. For lust and greed can sell anything, remember what Khar said in his exile days in London, will ride an Indian tank. Unfortunately Pakistan has been led by such people since it’s history of 65 years. Had India been not divided, they would have been “untertan”, subservient to Hindus. But how unfortunate they are, they are up to the existence of the the very country that unleashed them to the power!

Is not this the fact that the people elect them to office? And all across Pakistan? They represent the country and the people, not only “like father like son” but also “like the people like the government”.

I hope all of you Pakistani men out there (and any Middle Eastern/South Asian men for that matter) realize that when women around the world hear of such things they think of you in frightful terms and stay the Hell away. Until your societies do more to shame people from doing such things and truly punish the wrongdoers, you’ll always be viewed with disgust and suspicion by women the world over. Good luck finding a partner in that climate.

in my view he is guilty as when he said his first line that he did not threw acid on fakhra he did not look at the camera directly with his own eyes that body language is good enough for me to say he is the culprit and should be charged in front of camer

he will keep on saying whole his life from now own till he dies that i did not threw the acid on fakhra and more he will say this more people will get convinced tht he has done it and on the other hand he cannot admit it in any situation but the law of
ALLAH will take over now mark my words his death will not be easy he will die a very painful and difficult death

Can you add one more thing, please this man Mr Muhammad meshel Alam, he used to say one day that is former wife had gone mental, after he used to sy to my daughter who’s now she is 19 years old, that his former wife wanted to go back to him. What a liar!!! Anyway this man wants the Italian passport, nothing else. he did not care about my daughter health, in fact she left without doing any vaccins nothing. But as a former wife of an Italian Army officer, I couldn’t beleive that a Colonel had cheated so much.
No, The Pakistani embassy in london never replied to my faxes letters nothing. Who told me that was a letter from the Pakistani Embassy in Rome.
By Italian Constitution no one in italy could have sent Fakhra back to Pakistan the lies of that man!!!!

This man is a disgraceful human being. Even after this young woman has been crushed completely and has lost her fight in life he callously continues to berate her name in her time of peace. He is an affront to all humanity. May God have mercy on his soul, he will need it.

Anon, daam…!, you have managed to post my thoughts before I did! (thanks anyway…) Guys, I don’t like to put people in boxes, but belive me, girls cringe when they talk about Pakistani guys… just for that reason all of you have alerady mentioned… Untill your men stand up and fight against it, you have no respect in our eyes… I feel sorry for your women…